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VA, DoD release mobile app to help PTSD patients

Veterans and military personnel undergoing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment now have help at
their fingertips, thanks to a free smartphone mobile application released by the departments of Defense and
Veterans Affairs.

Developed by psychologists at the VA's National Center for PTSD and DoD's National Center for Telehealth
and Technology, PE Coach, with the PE standing for "prolonged exposure," assists patients already
undergoing therapy.

The app allows a patient to process the memory of a trauma, reducing distress and avoidance stemming from
the trauma. With the help of his or her therapist, the patient can work through the memory and decrease the
anxiety surrounding it. The app also helps the patient face situations that may trigger the traumatic memory.

"PE Coach is a helpful tool that assists our service members and veterans who are between visits and in
treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder," said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for
health affairs, in a National Center for PTSD release. "We have shared this app with our military health care
providers as well, and hope that many individuals who are receiving PE therapy will find it useful."

Other features of PE Coach include stress-relieving breathing exercises, a note-taking capability and the
ability to record therapy sessions.

In 2011, Va and DoD released a similar app called PTSD Coach, which offers reference materials to help PTSD
patients track symptoms, perform self-assessments and reach out to other PTSD patients for support. PTSD
Coach won a ATA President's Award for Innovation.